Wouldn’t it be nice to have a dietician on call 24/7? Even though most of us don’t have that luxury, we can still find ways to eat healthy, be mindful of our calorie intake, and remain motivated to reach our goal. And those ways sometimes (always?) start with your phone! These are the best meal tracker apps we could find that’ll have you feeling more awake, energized, and just...healthy.
MyFitnessPal
Subscription: Free
This is a great app for tracking your food and taking note of how many calories you’re consuming with each meal. The handy barcode scanner is also a lifesaver! Just scan your food’s barcode and all its information will automatically be plugged into the app. MyFitnessPal allows you to factor any workout you did that day into your day’s calories.
Lifesum
Subscription: $4.17/month, 12 months
Lifesum adds up all the calories you’ve had in a day and factors in the 30 minutes of cardio (or whatever) you did, which subsequently lowers your calorie score. The app is free to download, but if you upgrade to Premium, you can see your meal’s rating (how many carbs, fats, etc. were involved), see what food habits you've unknowingly developed, and even find meal plans like the Ketogenic Easy, Food for Strength, or Clean Eating, all of which are supported by nutritionists and nutritional advisors.
Lose It!
Subscription: $1.67/ month
When you’re ready to see some physical changes, Lose It! will set you up with a weight loss plan. Yes, that includes an actual goal date and a projected amount of weight you’ll lose. Track every single food you eat by using the barcode scanner (Lose It! takes one look before telling you what’s in it). The app can connect to other fitness trackers—Fitbit included—but you can also just add in your exercise manually.
YAZIO
Subscription: $3.75/ month
YAZIO will show you how your meal breaks down in terms of percentage of carbs, protein, fats, and more. Upgrading means you’ll see what other foods are high in carbs, protein, and fats. You’ll also get to look at different recipes, try calorie-based meals, or challenge yourself with fun diet plans. YAZIO also gives you helpful tips to reach your goal, without any kind of judgment, of course.
Eat This Much
Subscription: $8.99/ month
One thing that separates this app from the rest is that since it helps you find meals that are geared toward your goal, you don’t actually have to track anything because it’s already been done for you. Eat This Much is free, but upgrading to premium will give you a week’s worth of meal plans and grocery store lists straight to your inbox.
See How You Eat
Subscription: Free
While this app doesn’t necessarily give you nutritional info, it allows you to take pictures of every meal you’ve had throughout the day, keeping you mindful of what you’re eating. You can also add notes along with the picture. Plus, the app has motivational messages to keep you going.
MealPrepPro
Subscription: $5.99/ month
After calculating how many calories you should be eating based on your age, height, and weight, and learning your desired diet plan (standard, keto, plant-based, etc.), the app comes up with the best meals for you. You’ll even get a weekly shopping list and can watch cooking videos of the meal right there on the app.
MyDietCoach
Subscription: $6.99/ month
When you download the free version of the app, you can still see all the nutrition facts from your daily meals – something not all apps allow unless you upgrade. With MyDietCoach, there are challenges that you can try daily, like taking the stairs instead of the elevator or filling your plate with veggies or—this is a hard one—not snacking in front of the TV. You can do it!
MyPlate
Subscription: $9.99/ month
There’s a place for everything you eat in this clean layout. The app will list out how many fat, carbs, and proteins you had during the day, plus how many calories you burned. Challenge yourself with MyPlate’s 8-week meal plans and sweat it out with workouts provided on the app.
MyNetDiary
Subscription: $8.99/ month
This app is here to help you reach your ideal weight and keep track of your meals. Enter your meals and check your food report, where MyNetDiary actually gives your food an actual grade. That’ll take you back! If you see a D, you know that’s something you might want to avoid eating.
MakeMyPlate
Subscription: Free
Choose your meal plan and just...start! I know that sounds so easy, and with MakeMyPlate, it is. Swap in foods you’re willing to commit to before saying yes to a plan. It provides a convenient shopping list for the week, so you’re not rushing out the door to grab something you need, or worse, using a less healthy product as a substitute. The app also gives you healthy options to eat at your favorite restaurants (like Panera and Chipotle, to name just a few).
Calorie Counter
Subscription: Free
You want a clean, simple app to count your calories? This one is at your service. Go ahead and import all your foods for each meal by searching for it by name or by using their barcode feature. The charts are very comprehensible; there’s a calorie chart and a macro chart for the day. Every so often, you can check your weight and input that data as your weigh-in.
FitGenie
Subscription: $3.99/ month, 12 months
After adding in your weight goals and diet preferences, FitGenie comes up with the kinds of foods you might enjoy within their "Magic Meals" option. With Premium, you can swap out as many recipes as you want until you get something you’ll actually enjoy. You can also import recipes you’ve found online or use ones from the app that are already recommended for you.
